The 1980s were a decade of forward-looking, avant-garde car design and an era to which the twee and curvaceous Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-Series were an awkward fit, so for 1980 the entire range was reworked to bring in new, sharper and much squarer bodywork, in keeping with the fashions of the time.

First came the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, very quickly followed by its more sporting sister car, the Bentley Mulsanne. The name was derived from Bentley's motorsport history, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1930. The 'Mulsanne Straight' being the stretch of Le Mans' circuit where cars reach their highest speeds.
 
The Mulsanne initially shared the same carburetted 6+3⁄4-litre (6,750 cc; 412 cu in) Rolls-Royce V8 engine with aluminium alloy cylinder heads with the Silver Spirit, carried over from the Silver Shadow II and Bentley T2. In 1982 however, a turbocharged version with much more power and torque was also introduced – for Bentley only – in the Mulsanne Turbo. The non-turbo model ran alongside it until 1988, when it was superseded by the new Mulsanne S for the last three years of production.

Mechanically identical to the Mulsanne, the S didn’t have a turbo but many of the Turbo R’s other details were introduced, including its alloy wheels and interior, and firmer suspension.
 
This is one such car – a 1989 Mulsanne S, one of only 909 S models built, and finished in the striking and unusual hue of Vermillion. It’s not a car for shrinking violets, but it’s one with a massive road presence.

The car currently forms part of a private collection that the owner is in the process of downsizing and he has kept the car for over 20 years, initially owned by his company and then registered privately since. It has had a lot of work carried out in recent years, with a full respray in the original colour and new rear spring hangers, a front subframe and a steering and suspension overhaul.
 

 

 

 

BEFORE YOU BUY 

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